Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips
Whether they’re scooping up the contrasting creamy-cool of Homemade Guacamole, or providing a sturdy vehicle for crunchy Pico De Gallo or Seven Layer Dip, these chips are sure to be your family’s new favorite treat. A little fryer know-how, a lot of oil, and a few corn tortillas are all you need to make your very own tortilla chips at home—it’s only a tiny bit more work than opening a bag of store-bought chips, and the payoff is huge.
How To Make Homemade Tortilla Chips
Sure, you can buy pretty-good tortilla chips at the store. But, when making fried tortilla chips at home is as simple as cutting corn tortillas into triangles and frying them, why not go the extra mile? Still-warm, freshly fried, thick, restaurant-style tortilla chips are always a huge hit for parties—just add guacamole and margaritas—and they’re a fun, celebratory after-school treat, too. Here’s our recipe for perfect homemade tortilla chips:
- Stack your corn tortillas and cut them into eight wedges.
- Begin heating your oil.
- Check the thermometer for a reading of 350°F, or use a piece of tortilla to check the oil temperature.
- Fry! Work in small batches, so that the oil temperature remains as steady as possible, which ensures a nice, even fry.
- Salt! Sprinkle the finished, still-warm chips with a good dusting of kosher salt.
- Dip! Gobble! Scarf! Let the chips cool as much as will power will allow, and then have at it!
How To Fry Tortilla Chips:
Deep-frying can be a little intimidating—and for good reason! Large quantities of super-hot oil are nothing to mess around with. If you happen to own a small deep-fryer, these chips will be a breeze. However, it’s easy to make them on the stove top, too. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you fry:
- Bring your pot full of oil slowly up to temperature over medium-high heat.
- If you DO have a deep-frying thermometer, watch for a temperature of 350°F.
- If you DON’T have a deep frying thermometer, you’ll need to test the oil using a piece of tortilla. Test the oil temperature by dropping a small piece of tortilla in the oil after it’s has had a good amount of time to warm up. When the tortilla piece sizzles in the hot oil, the oil is ready.
- Make sure to adjust the heat down a tad if your chips are cooking too quickly is getting too hot.
- You will also need to adjust the heat up a tad after each batch of chips, because you will notice that each batch lowers the oil temperature a little.
How To Keep Homemade Tortilla Chips Fresh:
Homemade tortilla chips are best right when you make them, still a little warm from frying. But! They also keep just fine for a day or two. If you need to store your homemade tortilla chips, just allow them to cool completely before doing so. Once your super delicious, fried, salted tortilla chips are cool, store them in a Ziploc bag with as much of the air squeezed out of it as possible. And, if you really need them to last a few days, you might need to hide them. If your family is anything like ours, chips left out in the open have a tendency to disappear.
Tools You’ll Need:
Dip These Homemade Tortilla Chips In:
How’d They Turn Out?
Let us know! Snap a photo of your crispy, salty, perfect homemade tortilla chips and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed them to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
